McCarthy Q & A with Journal Sentinel's Bob McGinn

Q. Several first-year coaches in Green Bay have faced daunting tasks and this looks like another one. Based on the personnel at hand and the fact you're in Year 1 of installing your program, is .500 a realistic objective for the Packers this season?

A. I don't deal in predictions. It's very important for our team to have the focus of winning every game and keep the goal in mind of winning a world championship. I don't believe in ever telling a team that if we can just do this we'll be OK.

Q. Aside from wins and losses, what in your mind would constitute progress in 2006?

A. I think we've made progress already. We've established an off-season program. We changed the schedule but change doesn't necessarily mean better. But the key to progress is wins. I think we've made progress in the attitude and the communication throughout the building, particularly in the locker room. There's more interaction. I felt there were a lot of walls when I first took the job.

Q. You've been on the job now for about eight months. Just what kind of situation were you walking into?

A. Well, there's a reason why I'm here, No. 1. That's how these jobs open. When I walked through the door you had a program that was in place and they won a lot of games. For whatever reason, it went in another direction. I took it as a great opportunity and tried to look at the positive things that were in place. I truly benefited from working here before. There was a lot of carryover that I believed in. I always felt the Green Bay Packers did things right from an organization standpoint. There were obviously the negative things and I definitely think we've gone in a different direction.

Q. Have you had time yet to imprint your personality on this team and organization?

A. The approach I take every day is, be consistent. It's important, whether it's the secretary in the hallway or your players, to see the same guy every day. That's critical in the quality of a leader. If you're down there (frustrated) in front of the team every day they're going to play like that. I think I've been a guy that will be tough on them but also will be fair. There are some things in this business that aren't fair.

Q. In 1992, another offensive coordinator from San Francisco was 44 when he inherited a 4-12 team in Green Bay and finished 9-7 in his first season. Mike Holmgren was able to build his future around Brett Favre. You're 42 and undoubtedly as ambitious as Holmgren. What do you have to build around?

A. Well, we have Brett Favre. We have players that have been here when the times were good. From an organizational standpoint, we have a foundation to lean on that's second to none. We also have the optimism and the excitement of building with new guys.

Q. From a football standpoint, what are the best one or two things that this team has going for it?

A. You have good veteran leadership, particularly on offense. You have a Hall of Fame quarterback. You have Donald Driver, William Henderson, Bubba Franks, Al Harris, Aaron Kampman, Nick Barnett.

Q. What's your read on what has happened to this team in the 5Â½ years since Ron Wolf retired as GM?

A. As far as the player acquisition, it seemed to be a different philosophy that existed here the last 5Â½ years. I know when I was here the premium was on the draft and number of draft picks. There was a lot more trading of draft picks and moving up and more of an effort to try to go win it in a one- or two-year period instead of a long-range plan of building your roster through the draft. We've gone back to it. We're going to build through the draft.

Q. The last time that the Packers had a team this youthful was 1986. Forrest Gregg cleaned house after three straight 8-8 seasons and the team won 13 games over the next three years. Did Ted Thompson go too young putting this thing together?

A. We're young until we win. When we start winning, people won't be talking about how young we are. All this conversation, it's kind of fun. Everybody likes to be doubted. There's not a man in that locker room that doesn't have survival skills. Same thing with coaches.

Q. Coaches like players who know what they're doing and what it takes to win in the NFL. Did you just sit there during roster deliberations and acquiesce? Did you really agree that it made sense to go this young?

I honestly don't have any idea whether McCarthy is the right guy for the job, but there is something about this guy that I've come to like. He seems to have his head screwed on right. Whether he built a good coaching staff is yet to be determined. Whether this team has enough talent to win or whether the coaches will put together the right game plan will soon be determeined. What I like is that he shows no fear. I like his comment about his team being ready to play emotionally. I thought that the lack of emotion was a key missing ingredient the past five years. I don't think you win game with emotion alone, but emotion with preparation is a heck of tool that I want my team to have. Now whether he can pull it off or not will also be determined soon. I just wish the guy well and I hope he has a long successful career in Green Bay.

Yeah, I like the quote on emotion, too. Watching footage/highlights, etc. the last few years, you always see the pre-game huddle by teams where one player or coach is giving the speech, and the guys who are the most fired up seem to be on winning teams.... it's something I've been worried about all preseason, looking at these players and just seeing an apparent lacadisical (sp?) approach to every play. I've been wanting someone who will step up and be strong vocal, energetic, emotional leader.... hopefully this team shows confident energy on Sunday, and not nervous energy.

The one guy on defense who has to step it up big time is Woodson. He didn't show up for anything in the offseason, so while he should have been at OTA's becoming a leader on this team, he comes to training camp with a bit of a negative history who also has a bit of superstar status. He hasn't shown me in traiing camp that he is still a player and seem to be quite aloof.

he's done and said the right things almost every day since the day he was named head coach.

but if he can't do it on sundays, that won't mean anything. His coaching in preseason looked ok, but thats preseason. I dont think he will flop as a HC, but I do expect some rookie mistakes this year, lets just hope they aren't too costly! go packers.